Thursday, January 15, 2015

21st-Century Libraries: The Learning Commons :: Edutopia

Libraries have existed since approximately 2600 BCE asan
archive of recorded knowledge. From tablets and scrolls to bound books,
they have cataloged resources and served as a locus of knowledge. Today, with
the digitization of content and the ubiquity of the internet, information is no
longer confined to printed materials accessible only in a single, physical
location. Consider this:Project
Gutenbergand its affiliates make over 100,000 public domain works
available digitally, and Google has scanned over 30 million books through itslibrary
project.

Libraries are reinventing themselves as content becomes more
accessible online and their role becomes less about housing tomes and more
about connecting learners and constructing knowledge. Cushing
Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts has been in the vanguard of this
transition since 2009, when it announced its plans for a"bookless" library. A database of millions of
digital resources superseded their 20,000-volume collection of books, and a
café replaced the circulation desk. With this transition, not only did the way
in which students consumed content change, but also how they utilized the
library space. Rather than maintain a quiet location for individual study, the
school wanted to create an environment for "collaboration and knowledge
co-construction."

From Library to Learning Commons

Printed books still play a critical role in supporting learners, but
digital technologies offer additional pathways to learning and content
acquisition. Students and teachers no longer need a library simply for access.
Instead, they require a place that encourages participatory learning and allows
for co-construction of understanding from a variety of sources. In other words,
instead of being an archive, libraries are becoming a learning
commons.READ
MORE!